


20 Random Facts About Dick Grayson

by zarabithia



Category: DCU (Comics)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-10-31
Updated: 2007-10-31
Packaged: 2019-05-27 01:26:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15013679
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zarabithia/pseuds/zarabithia
Summary: Dick's life in snippets/drabbles.





	20 Random Facts About Dick Grayson

1\. An hour before showtime every night, Dick watches his father meticulously shave his beard in front of the tiny mirror in the cramped trailer the three of them share. His father patiently explains what he is doing to Dick, and how important it is to be careful, and Dick always stands at his father's side, watching and memorizing each action. His father even lets him lather up and practice, years before any hair even think about growing on Dick's face.

Years later, when the hairs do make their presence known, both Alfred and Bruce try to show him the proper way to shave, but Dick isn't willing to take either of their advice. Instead, he locks himself in the manor bathroom and relives the lessons his father taught.

The cuts grow less numerous with each attempt, and eventually, Dick gets the hang of it. On the day that he sets the razor down for the final time without any cuts, Dick likes to think that his father would have been proud of him.

2\. His mother is the storyteller in their family, treating both him and his father to stories passed down from three generations. Dick receives them through bedtime stories at first, then more casually told stories as he sits at her knee, watching her mend the Flying Graysons' costumes, and later, even more casually as she prepares lunch. They're glorious tales of evil demons and carnivorous plants, and sometimes they frighten Dick, but it is easy to hide his fear when his mother draws him close, kisses his forehead, and promises him that all the foul beasts in her stories are no match for her little robin's bravery.

3\. His first crush is the lady who walks the tightrope in their circus. His parents mock her skills, and his father says that it is very easy to fly with the ground still beneath you, but Dick is enraptured. Watching her walk out of the center ring and into the "backstage" area where he and his family are waiting for their turn is the highlight of Dick's night for two full years, and he is certain that the hip-length red hair is the most beautiful thing he's ever seen.

His love for their red-haired tightrope walker is pushed aside the minute their red-haired lion tamer comes along. Billy only stays with them for two months, but it's long enough to let Dick know early on that both men and women are beautiful.

And that red hair looks great on either one.

4\. The first time that he is in the room with Speedy is the most confusing time in his young life. He goes from wanting to punch the arrogant jerk to grinning until his face is sore to needing a cold shower all in the span of ten minutes.

Alfred assures him the bizarre nature of their first meeting is mere teenage hormones at work, and Dick is immensely relieved to know that he'll stop feeling this way around Speedy eventually.

5\. Dick is immediately suspicious when Dinah Lance calls the Manor, speaks briefly to Bruce, and has Dick on his way to Black Canary's apartment.

He's wary - Gotham bred or no, Black Canary is not a Leaguer he knows very well.

That makes it hurt all the more when it's _she_ \- a virtual stranger - who has to tell him what's happened to _his_ Speedy.

He makes it a full ten minutes in Dinah's apartment, being strong for Speedy, before the anger he has at himself and at Oliver Queen overwhelm to the point where Dinah drags him to the guest bedroom where they spar. What aggression isn't lost in battle with Dinah is lost on the punching bag.

When Dick falls down onto the floor, exhausted and hurting, Dinah catches him, and holds him as tightly as she holds his withdrawing friend.

He makes it a full day before Bruce - and the Mission - call him back to the Manor.

He doesn't have a choice but to go, but for the first time since becoming Robin, Dick genuinely resents Batman.

6\. He's never really forgiven Ollie for what he did to Roy, and during the Thanksgiving celebration that allows Guy Gardner to insinuate that Dick had any sexual inclinations towards Ollie, Dick breaks Guy's ribs in five spots before Guy can even think about getting a shield up.

7\. He will defend Bruce to anyone in a heartbeat. Bruce has all the loyalty Dick can pledge, and part of him will _always_ think of himself as Bruce's partner.

But he stopped mindlessly worshiping Bruce the day he stopped being Robin, if not before. For every good quality Bruce has, Dick can name a negative one.

It's Alfred who tells him that is normal for fathers and sons, and Dick refuses to doubt Alfred on the matter.

8.  He hates Terry Long from the moment he first shakes the slimy weasel's hand. Oh, he hides it, because it's so very obvious how much Donna is head over heels in love with him. But he knows from the start that the bastard isn't worthy of Donna.

He just never believes that there's actually going to be a wedding. He figures that Donna will come to her senses before then.

When the day actually arrives...well, the man walking the bride down the aisle can't exactly tell the bride her husband stinks. Still, the covert threatening of Terry that takes place during the reception in a broom closet is something Dick considers a wedding present.

9\. Up until Clark got married (and, apparently, became too busy), Clark used to show up once a week for no other reason than to take Dick flying. Dick misses those random flights, and wishes he had some way of asking Clark for them again. 

He's happy in his personal life, and he's happy for Clark, but to some extent, Clark will always be "the one who got away."

10\. The actions he is proudest of, the one he hopes people associate Nightwing with, are the ones he performed while leading The Titans. It was then that he was in control of his life, that he'd done the most good, that he'd been the best hero he could be.

11.  He loves Bruce like a father, doesn't want to imagine a world without Alfred, and he couldn't ask for a better little brother than Tim. But there are days that he can't help but be jealous of the family the Arrows have. It's ridiculous, and Dick knows that Ollie can be an even bigger ass than Bruce, but he sits at their table with them, silently eating dinner that Ollie labored over for his family. He watches as Connor and Roy tease each other the way he's not been able to do with Jason ever, really, and the way Mia obviously adores _both_ her big brothers... he watches as Ollie and Dinah alternate between flirty and proud, and back again...

But the thing that gets him most is the way their family alternates between shop talk, Connor's sex life, Lian's school work, and Mia's meds seamlessly. It reminds him of the kind of furious catching up over dinner that his parents used to do on those not at all rare occasions when they invited others to join the Flying Graysons for dinner.

It's incredibly disloyal, but sitting at that table is the first time Dick has ever wondered what his life might have been like if he hadn't been raised a Bat.

12\. There's not been a night since Bludhaven was lost that the ghosts of the victims haven't haunted his dreams.

13\. Every time he sees Red Hood, whether in the flesh or reading his exploits on paper, Dick sees easily what _Renegade_ could have been. It terrifies him, and Dick hates himself - not only for being as weak as he was during that part of his life, but because he isn't sure that weakness won't always stand in the way of fulling forgiving Jason for the mistakes that _Dick_ has made.

14\. Part of him will always blame Jason for the way the Outsiders' prison break went sour. It was Jason who gave the helpful "tip" about Black Lightning, after all. Oh, sure, Dick knows it isn't logical, and it _isn't_ fair, and he should be happy they were able to save Thunder's dad...but he needs to share the burden of those 44 deaths, and he isn't above leaning on his brother's shoulders to do it.

15.  Despite his anger at Jason, he's never once forgotten the family ties that bind them together. Jason _is_ his brother, and Dick wishes every day that Jason would come home.

16\. He figures that Lian really is the closest thing he'll ever have to a daughter, and he while he already knows she has one wonderful parent, he tries to be the best second parent she could ever want. It's not terribly difficult; he does, after all, have three different fathers to pick from, and when dealing with Lian, Dick simply picks the best of the lessons taught to him by his dad, Alfred, and Bruce.

17\. He loves Tim, and has always known that he could fall in love with him. Tim is the kind of person that will always be there, no matter what, and Dick wants that so badly it terrifies him.  That's one of the reasons he doesn't give in. The other is that Dick knows Tim's want is at least partially based in the kind of worship that had always made Clark tell _him_ no, and part of Dick thinks _he_ should do the same.

He also doesn't give in because he can't see that he's done anything to ever deserve the kind of devotion Tim gives him.

But together on that boat after Bludhaven is gone, Dick gives in the need and loss they both feel, this time certain that the playing field has been leveled enough that his actions are not wrong.

18\. After he quits the Outsiders, the list of people Dick needs to apologize to is a pretty long one. But the person at the top of his list is Clark. The trust he broke there is one that goes back further than any other he broke during what can only be described as his "stupid phase."

Standing in Clark's office, he can't quite get make himself meet Clark's gaze, but he offers to give up the name Clark gave back when Dick might have actually deserved it.

Clark's reply is the kind of hug that doesn't need words to tell Dick that all is forgiven.

19\. Kara's a cute kid, but when her "affection" crosses the line between cute and not cute, Dick uses every bribery technique in his disposal to get Tim to explain to her the complicated relationship Dick shared with her cousin to get her to back off without hurting her feelings.

He was trying to let her down easy. Unfortunately, Tim apparently had other plans, because Dick is pretty sure the phrase "first masturbatory fantasy" could never be misconstrued as gentle.

20\. The day that he comes back into Roy's life, the little girl he loves like a daughter looks up at him, arms crossed in a mini-Black Canary stance, and makes him promise not to hurt his daddy anymore.

It's a promise that is given through a tight throat, and Dick barely manages to finish it before two tiny Harper arms are around his neck welcoming him home.


End file.
